Kamat
Kamat (also spelt as Kamath) is a common surname amongst the Konkani Saraswat Brahmins of the Konkan and Malabar coasts of India in the states of Goa, Jhanjharpur, Nawani, Karnataka, Madhubani,Darbhanga and Maharashtra. They usually speak Konkani and is considered as their mother tongue. And most often Marathi or Kannada as their secondary language. The surname is believed to be derived from kaali maTTaachi which means people from Kali Math. Another opinion holds that it was derived from profession as many Konkani Saraswat Brahmin names are Kamats were said to be land owners among Konkani Saraswat families - the name could have been derived from "kaam mathichen", meaning work of the soil.
Variations
Kamat is a common surname of Konkani Saraswat Brahmins and of a few Konkani Roman Catholics of Goa and Canara. "Kamat" is mostly used in Goa, around the Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, and Konkan in Maharashtra. Kamath is used by Brahmins around Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and also in Kerala. "Camotim" was used in the erstwhile Portuguese territory of Goa but has given way to "Kamat" today.[1] "Camat" word is still in use in Indonesia which was a Portuguese colony at some point of time in the history. In Indonesia "Camat" means administrative and political head of the sub-district or taluk. Taluk is called as kecamatan (spelled as ke-chamatan). The name is also in use among some Konkani Catholics who trace their ancestry to the Goud Saraswat Brahmins of Goa.[2]
There are many GSB and RSB families, original "Kamats" from Goa who migrated to Maharashtra in the 16th Century during the Portuguese rule and they adopted the place name from Goa where they originally belonged to.
Kasaragod Kamath which is one of the biggest of GSB families and they are proud to keep track of the last 5 generations. They maintain a family tree which is containing names of all family members for the last five generations and it is updated every year on the auspicious day of Sri Vinayaka Chaturthi. Vinayaka chaturthi is celebrated by Kasaragod Kamaths in their 200 year old family house in a most traditional way.[3]
The "Kamat"(GSB) surname is also use in north bihar specially in district of Darbhanga, Madhubani,Jhanjharpur,Nawani etc. .
Notable people
- M V Kamath - Veteran journalist & former Chairman of Prasar Bharati
- K. V. Kamath - Chairman of Infosys, Non-executive Chairman of ICICI Bank, Former MD and CEO of ICICI Bank and Forbes Asia Business of the Year 2007
- V. V. Kamath, chairman of Kamath group of Hotels
- P. V. Kamat - Professor of Chemistry & BioChemistry, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame
- Dr. K. L. Kamat, scholar, writer, and amateur photographer[4]
- Digambar Kamat - Chief Minister of Goa (2007 to 2012)
- Durgabai Kamat (1899 - 1997), first actress of Indian cinema, debuted in Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), second movie of Phalke[5][6]
- Nishikant Kamath, Actor.
- Umesh Kamat, Marathi Actor
- Ninad Kamat, Marathi and Hindi Actor
Citations
- ↑ Saradesāya 2000, p. 24
- ↑ Sarasvati's Children: A History of the Mangalorean Christians, Alan Machado Prabhu, I.J.A. Publications, 1999, p. 137
- ↑ Kasaragod Kamath family tree
- ↑ Late Dr. K. L. Kamat
- ↑ Riya Chakravarty (May 3, 2013). "Indian cinema@100: First women on screen: Durgabai Kamat and her daughter Kamlabai Ghokhle". NDTV. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Vikram Gokhale has an illustrious family lineage". The Times of India. Jan 23, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
References
- Saradesāya, Manohararāya (2000), A History of Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992, Sahitya Akademi, ISBN 81-7201-664-6.